Katerina Makriyianni focused on talismanic jewelry included beads, evil eye rings and delicate earrings handmade using colorful silks. Evolving beyond her original hit, the statement fan earrings, the Cretan designer, wanted to revisit her brand’s roots and offer timeless pieces that can double as keepsakes during this time of uncertainty. — Natalie Theodosi
Just after a year in business, Eéra has become one of the most prominent new names in the fine jewelry sector. Now the brand is expanding its range beyond its signature neon-hued earrings, with a spring 2021 collection that pays homage to Romy Blanca and Chiara Capitani’s favorite cities. The design duo created the ‘Tokyo’ necklaces inspired by military identity tags; added a new ‘Paris’ series of reimagined tennis bracelets; and ‘New York’ earrings featuring sharper, more angular shapes. “These are cities that continue to be a huge source of inspiration, even though we are not able to travel at this time. That’s why we chose to portray a sense of freedom and escapism with this collection,” said the designers. — Natalie Theodosi
Inspired by Georgia O’Keefe and the play between reality and abstraction in the artist’s work, Danish jeweler Sophie Bille Brahe experimented with larger scales for spring 2021, from a necklace featuring over 800 diamonds graduating in size to the statement ‘Peggy Opera’ earrings pictured here and featuring long strands of the designer’s signature freshwater pearls. — Natalie Theodosi
Despite seeing their atelier and shop destroyed by the Beirut blasts, Lebanese jewelry label L’Atelier Nawbar wanted to forge ahead and find solace in creativity. Hence “Fragments of Beirut” a new collection of pendants and statement rings featuring joyful colors inspired by the architecture of the Lebanese capital and the pieces of smashed glass found on the streets after the explosion. By showcasing the broken fragments in their jewelry the label’s designers wanted to create meaningful keepsakes and send a message of hope that the Lebanese people will be able to piece the fragments of their city back together.
Although an architect by training and trade, French designer Marc Deloche eventually veered towards jewelry, inspired by the pieces he’d been collecting over time. This season, Seventies fabrics found during research for an interior design project inspired his collection. Made of interlaced ovals and two-tone precious metals playing with coral studs, the Elliptique cuff is a fascinating sculpture meant to twist around the wrist all day – and evening – long. — Lily Templeton
The Golden Age of Hollywood was the inspiration for Aurélie Bidermann’s spring collection, where all the lines were named after real or fictional silver screen stars. New this season are the circular Ava pendants and earrings, nodding to cinema reels; and the Liz, inspired by Elizabeth Taylor’s legendary bling. Best of all was the Helen cuff, a sculptural piece that curls around the wrist inspired by artist Helen Sheats whose John Lautner-designed home is a striking example of modernism.
Other noteworthy styles were the new Positano chains that mixed the line’s signature stripes with stackable necklaces of varying sizes. — Lily Templeton
For Jaipur and Brussels-based Celine D’Aoust, imperfections are what brings out the beauty in a stone. Her newest collection, shown in her first Parisian boutique that opened this summer, is based around secret and not-so-secret talismans inspired by her extensive pre-Covid travels.
Among the highlights of this lineup are the green tourmaline-studded Tiger totem necklace, the graphic sunburst of her Aztec earrings, and the dangling Totem line that features glowing moonstones set in motifs of suns and stars. — Lily Templeton
For Korean contemporary label Gu_De, the focus for spring 2021 was on “Re-Classic, Re-Fresh and Re-Imagine.” This translated into a renewed focus on practicality, with structured, mini totes giving way to more voluminous, soft shapes, like the Lisa tote pictured here. — Natalie Theodosi
What started as a small side project for Amsterdam-based Kassl, has grown to compete with its core outerwear business. For spring 2021, the label continued growing its bag range with new fabrication for its signature ‘Pillow’ oversized totes in a range of “uplifting” hues like bright green, white or cobalt blue. New cross-body and circular tote versions have also been added to the mix. — Natalie Theodosi
Naza Yusefi designed her spring 2021 collection with the uncertainty of today in mind, which is why she fell back to the familiarity of some of the brand’s signature shapes including its mini top handle bags, scrunched up pouches and roomy totes. To add a glimpse of positive for the future, she complimented the range’s best-selling neutral tones with pops of pastel colors and edgier gold chains that had a whiff of Bottega Veneta. — Natalie Theodosi
Elza Wandler’s motto for this strange spring 2021 season was to “look to the past, live in the present and face the future.” It’s why, like many of her peers, she turned to some of the trusted shapes that have helped catapult the brand to success ever since it launched three years ago: Her signature Moon-shaped ‘Hortensia’ bags, baguette styles and sharp, square toe mules or pumps.
Inspired by the artist Julio Rondo, best known for painting behind glass, Wandler also injected her color palette with as many in-your-face neons as neutrals and presented the collection through arty collages that channeled her upbeat, modernist vision. — Natalie Theodosi
Totême garenered huge excitement last year when it introduced shoes to its legion of chic, minimalist customers. Now, the Swedish label is debuting its first clutch: A structured T-shaped clutch that aims to offer a day to evening solution. In line with the brand’s minimalist ethos, the clutch comes in black and ivory nappa leather and was handmade in Italy. “I was interested in the idea of an all-day clutch, something in between an everyday bag and an evening bag,” said the label’s co-founder and creative director, Elin Kling. — Natalie Theodosi
British designer Charlotte Simone has done away with the traditional fashion calendar in the wake of the pandemic. Instead, she released a limited-edition capsule of faux fur accessories, including the playful mini totes in baby pink and leopard pictured here, most of which went to sell out on her website in the space of four days. “As a small and independent business, we had to adapt and fast. I’m excited about moving away from traditional retail and the pressures I’ve often felt to please major retailers,” said the designer. — Natalie Theodosi
Cairo-based label Okhtein turned to softer shapes and fabrics for spring 2021, presenting a series of strucutred mini totes featuring textured woven materials inspired by imagery of the human anatomy taken by microscopes. The label, which is readying the opening of its flagship store in Cairo, has also started dabbling in eyewear, already a hit with global pop stars like Maluma.
Manu Atelier focused on introducing a single new bag style for spring 2021: The Pita bag. The baguette style bag plays with fashion’s flair for all things nostalgic, particularly when it comes to the Nineties. In the spirit of optimism, designers Beste and Merve Manastir also turned to pastel hues for the first time, offering the minimalist shape in sorbet yellow and vanilla hues. — Natalie Theodosi
Argentine brand ACheval may have dropped the Pampa from its name but there are plenty of reasons to ride off into the sunset with this mini belt-bag version of their Talabartera shape, inspired by the satchels used by gauchos. It comes in a trendy green version, as well as more classic white, tan and black hues. — Lily Templeton
Paris-based Belgian leather designer Niels Peeraer is putting a stop to the “no limit to cuteness” aesthetic that put him on the map.
His new range takes a dark yet hopeful twist, as Peeraer explores a post-post-apocalyptic world where a USSR horse gas mask is recycled into a gender-free bucket bag, and a harness bag is a hands-free option for the survivor-about-town. More wearable options will also include backpacks and bags inspired by the kinchaku, a Japanese traditional draw string bag.
The designer is also opening his first physical space in Paris, a 3-storey location for his offices, ateliers and a small shop on the ground floor, due to open in early December. — Lily Templeton
“The big news this season are the hand-made flowers,” said Roger Vivier creative director Gherardo Felloni, who spent much of lockdown gardening in his countryside home. Inevitably florals made their way into his spring 2021 collection for the French maison in the form of hand-painted motifs and 3D leather floral appliqués that were used to embellish flip flops. “Even if you’re staying at home, you can still wear something precious,” said Felloni. — Natalie Theodosi
As she navigates the pandemic, Mary Alice Malone has been putting more focus on Malone Souliers’ sustainability efforts, creating her spring 2021 collection using archival fabrics or leftover leathers, in a bid to create the least waste possible. This also translated into the use of earthy tones, plenty of natural linen fabrics and season-less shapes, like the flat mules pictured here, featuring hardware in the shape of the brand’s logo. — Natalie Theodosi
Francesco Russo dreamt up his spring 2021 collection during lockdown, shooting his new shoes under the shade of a tree in Puglia. Inspired by the nature that surrounded him Russo focused on animal prints, earth-tones, braided straps resembling olive branches or curved shapes, inspired by the twisted trunks of trees.
With international travel very much restricted, the popular contemporary label By Far wanted to take its audience on a virtual trip to the South of France with its latest spring 2021 range, which was filled with pastel colors in all the shades of a summer sunset and the kind of laid-back pieces – mini shoulder bags, sandals and chain-embellished flats – that you can simply throw on, on a lazy summer day. — Natalie Theodosi
Nodaleto partnered with Japanese artist Harumi Yamaguchi, best known for her dramatic, airbrushed images. Yamaguchi’s flair for polish and pop color made its way into the shoe label’s spring 2021 range too, which featured feather embellishments, bright pops of red and lilac and Japanese-inspired floral motifs. — Natalie Theodosi
Christian Louboutin turned to gaming to bring his collection alive this season. He presented animated versions of his spring 2021 collection which was extended beyond the label’s signature sky-high heels to raffia sandals, ballet flats and a new sneaker featuring a detachable transparent platform. — Natalie Theodosi
Lebanese shoe designer Andrea Wazen had her spring 2021 collection ready since the summer, but when the blasts in Beirut took place on August 4, she felt that she needed to reimagine her designs and pay homage to her city. It’s why she looked to the architecture of Beirut – most of which was destroyed – for inspiration and added new embroideries and architectural shapes to the mix, that also helped keep local artisans at work. — Natalie Theodosi
At Maison Michel, Priscilla Royer experimented with stripes in all colors of the rainbow, channeling a much-needed sense of optimism. With parts of the new range, she went the more sutble route adding striped ribbons around the brand’s signature wide-brim straw hats. Elsewhere, she dialled up the glamour factor with sequin stripes on caps or decadent turbans, pictured here. — Natalie Theodosi
British label Ralph & Russo joined forces with Linda Farrow for an eyewear collaboration that made its debut on the label’s spring 2021 digital runway. There were two key styles, including a pair of oversized round frames and a cat-eye style, which came in the label’s signature pastel hues. Both designs reflected Tamara Ralph’s flair for all things feminine. — Natalie Theodosi
You may not be familiar with Belgian-born, Paris-based designer Stéphanie D’heygere, but you’ve no doubt recently seen her work before. Formerly the head of jewelry at Maison Martin Margiela and a senior jewelry designer at Dior, she has designed for the likes of Jacquemus and Y/Project – those earrings Beyoncé wore? That’s her. With her eponymous brand D’heygere, she is all about turning classics on their heads by tweaking their usage or playing with pedestrian items and mundane materials to bring out a playful side to luxury, as spotted on Rihanna, Dua Lipa or Timothy Chalamet.
For the spring, she turned a hanger into a necklace, a cap into a declaration thanks to a well-placed (and changeable) Post-It note, or a belt-buckle into a convenient transport card holder. And the witty t-shirt on which she embraces the misprints and tentative pronunciations of her Flemish last name is a must-have, too. — Lily Templeton
Hats may have phased out as an obligation but their fashion appeal hasn’t faded. “And it’s the perfect anti-anging routine, too,” Ukrainian milliner Ruslan Baginskiy joked in a preview during Paris Fashion Week. Using material contrasts as a way to decorate without overloading classic hat shapes, he revisited what he considers the ultimate summer essential by looking back at famous hat-wearers like Zelda Fitzgerald, Coco Chanel, Madonna or even the Duchess of Sussex.
Standouts of the season were the gambler hats decorated with removable chains or earrings, both fully functional and meant to double up as jewelry; cloche hats with a vintage coolness to them and of course, new twists on the baker boy cap that’s been spotted on the Hadid sisters, Taylor Swift or more recently Janelle Monae and the K-pop stars of the moment, Blackpink. — Lily Templeton